


words of affirmation

by melonlordnation



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Dirty Talk, F/M, Implied Sexual Content, Praise Kink, Secret Relationship, ZutaraWeek2020, day 6: affirm, firelord!zuko/ambassador!katara, five love languages, maybe a smidge of political corruption but for good reasons, might turn into a series?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:15:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25626526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melonlordnation/pseuds/melonlordnation
Summary: She walked to where he sat on his bed, agonizingly slowly. “Is it that hard to believe I like being validated?”orThe Firelord won’t tolerate the Ambassador of the Southern Water Tribe being disrespected. The ambassador lets her host know how much she appreciates his words of affirmation.
Relationships: Zuko/Katara, Zutara - Relationship
Comments: 14
Kudos: 212





	words of affirmation

Katara was among three visiting Southern Water Tribe dignitaries, her as an ambassador, the other two as delegates. In public, she was poised and polite; the epitome of sophistication. She smiled at the right people and shared stories of her travels from years before over dinner, charming every official she dined with. Behind the closed doors of meetings, she used her sharp tact and maintained an air of grace, but she was also defiant, determined not to let her tribe get the short end of the stick in the new trade deals. 

No matter what the Earth Kingdom ambassador tried to pull over her, she saw through and fought back. 

“It’s a matter of efficiency,” the Earth Kingdom ambassador explained condescendingly. “The Northern Water Tribe is geographically closer to the Earth Kingdom, so we’d be streamlining trade by doing it through the tribe in the north. Goods from the south would still be purchased, and your people would still receive their pay.” 

“My people,” Katara snapped, “would be losing money by not doing trade directly with the Earth Kingdom. We’re already the poorest of the four nations, and of the two Water Tribes, the south is at a greater financial disadvantage. When unrest breaks out, I won’t let it be between the tribes, especially not when we’re being taken advantage of by socialites from a kingdom that’s an ocean away.” 

“The Earth King has given his support for this arrangement,” the ambassador triumphantly played his highest card, “and given our longstanding history of good relations with the Northern Water Tribe, I’m certain their chief will agree. What would your father say if he knew you were actively attempting to sever ties between your sister tribe and one of the most powerful nations in the world?” 

Katara seethed. “My father is also a chief, and will be respected as such. And as an ambassador, not as a chief’s daughter, I will not stop fighting on behalf of both Water Tribes.” 

The Earth Kingdom ambassador turned his attention away from her. “What do our esteemed hosts think of this arrangement? Surely you’ve not forgotten our previous arrangements as well as your end of the postwar negotiations.” 

The Fire Nation ambassador shook his head. “The Fire Nation has not forgotten, and in the interest of maintaining peace with the Earth Kingdom, it seems that placing our alignment there best upholds the postwar negotiations.” 

“I’m sorry,” Katara spat venomously, “were either of you in the room when the postwar negotiations were written? Did either of you have a direct hand in crafting the treaties? Because I don’t remember seeing you there when both the Earth King and the Firelord swore to me that my tribe and my nation wouldn’t be overlooked in future negotiations such as these.” 

“Again, Ambassador, the Earth King has already shown his support for this deal,” the Earth Kingdom ambassador smugly insisted. If they weren’t diplomats, Katara swore he’d be a dead man. 

“And the Firelord?” Katara glared at the Fire Nation ambassador. 

“My lord has entrusted me with overseeing what is most beneficial to the future of the Fire Nation,” the ambassador replied, “though this is a matter I haven’t spoken to him about. I can request an audience and have an answer in three days.” 

“Don’t bother. I’ll go to him myself.” 

“You’d dare try and use a friendship for political gain?” The Earth Kingdom ambassador challenged. 

“No, Ambassador,” Katara didn’t back down, “but I certainly would dare to take my seat of honor at his right hand and have a polite conversation over dinner this evening.” 

“That won’t be necessary,” came the Firelord’s voice from the doorway. 

The seated ambassadors stood out of respect, but Zuko waved them off as he entered. “I was advised to come check in on the meeting, and it seems I came at the right time.” 

“We were hoping to get your word that the Earth Kingdom has the Fire Nation’s support in rerouting all further trades with the Southern Water Tribe through the Northern Water Tribe,” the Earth Kingdom ambassador flowered, “support outlined clearly in prior arrangements made between the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation.” 

“You’re correct in acknowledging the prior arrangements,” Zuko admitted.

While the ambassador silently gloated, he missed the look that flashed between his rival and the Firelord.

“However, you have failed to consider exactly how far back those arrangements go. Those deals were signed _prior_ to the postwar negotiations, _prior_ to the formal recognition of each Water Tribe as equal parts of one nation, and _prior_ to my crown. This proposition directly violates the postwar negotiations and refuses to acknowledge the Southern Water Tribe as sovereign.”

“Perhaps that sovereignty should be questioned.”

Katara’s eyes narrowed at the diplomat. She could have strangled him with his fancy green belt. That would shut him up.

“The Water Tribes are actively practicing nepotism, which raises the question as to whom exactly within the Southern Water Tribe will benefit from the hindrance of such a deal- the people, or their leader? Preventing such economic imbalance is only possible with cooperation from the Fire Nation.” 

The Earth Kingdom ambassador should have kept his mouth shut.

“The Fire Nation will be open to discussions about economic imbalance when the Earth Kingdom is ready to formally recognize the rights of the swamp citizens and begins integrating the social classes within the walls of Ba Sing Se.” 

The Earth Kingdom’s ambassador’s eyes widened in indignation at the Firelord’s comments, but Zuko pressed on. 

“Furthermore, this is the second time you’ve blatantly disrespected Ambassador Katara’s honor by insinuating she’s incapable of doing her job effectively because of her familial ties to the leadership in the Southern Water Tribe. And you had the nerve to do it in front of me. I ask you, Ambassador, what would Chief Hakoda think if he heard a supposed diplomat from the Earth Kingdom speaking to his ambassador in such a manner? What am I supposed to think?” 

The diplomat didn’t have a response. He looked to the Fire Nation ambassador for support, but the Fire Nation ambassador sat back in his chair, watching amusedly. His fellow dignitary was a fool if he thought the Fire Nation ambassador would speak out against the king, in his palace, and especially when he was making such good points.

“The crown respects Ambassador Katara and all of the work she’s done to restore balance among the nations. She has more experience working toward that goal than the three of us combined. I ask for your trust when I say that in my political and personal experience, she is many things, and ‘incapable’ has never been one of them.” Zuko looked to his nation’s ambassador. “The Fire Nation does not support this deal.”

He left with a somewhat dramatic flourish of his robe.

—————

Later, in the seclusion of the royal suite, Katara wouldn’t stop talking about it. 

She started before she ever dipped into the hot spring in the private bathroom, and Zuko thought she’d surely run out of steam while she brushed her hair, but Katara seemed reinvigorated by each knot she tore through, and she had a _lot_ of hair. 

Zuko was afraid she’d be upset with him for rushing to her defense, given her capability to adequately defend herself, but she positively gushed. 

“He wouldn’t listen to me, he never does, but you got him to shut up!” 

“You’re not mad about that?” Zuko got the chance to ask when she finally stopped to breathe. 

Katara crossed the room to return the hairbrush to its rightful drawer. “Oh I’m furious with him, but you,” she pressed a kiss to his cheek in passing, “you directly aligned the Fire Nation behind the Southern Water Tribe, and made that jerk recognize my credibility. I want him to just try and question my intentions again. Economic imbalance.” She scoffed and ran her hands over the soft fabric of her extremely short bathrobe. There was a nearly imperceptible shift in her voice. “It was difficult to stay focused on the meeting after you left.”

“Why?” 

When Katara turned around, Zuko saw the familiar hazy gleam in her eyes. He could hardly believe it.

“Are you turned on right now?”

Katara walked agonizingly slowly to where Zuko sat on the edge of his bed. “Is it that hard to believe I like being validated?” She slid into his lap, effectively straddling him, and draped her arms around his neck. “That I like having my honor defended?” 

“I’ve got a lot of practice,” he said breathlessly as she ran her fingers through his hair. 

“It’s about to pay off,” she promised, capturing his lips in a searing kiss. 

Zuko eventually broke the kiss and moved to her neck, tugging her hair back with one hand to gain better access. The other hand snaked around Katara’s waist and pulled her closer.

“You’re beautiful,” he said against her collarbone. “Graceful, strong, powerful, smart.” Each word was punctuated with a trail of kisses leading to her ear. Katara rolled her hips forward and groaned at the sensation that shot through her body. 

“Always so good for me,” he nipped at her earlobe and she shivered. “And so responsive. I’ve barely even touched you and you’re this worked up.” The hand that was at her hair moved to the tie of her robe, which already didn’t leave much to the imagination. Katara grabbed his hand and guided it lower.

“I’ve been like this for hours,” she all but whined.

“If someone hadn’t made such a big deal about her seat of honor, we could have skipped dinner,” Zuko playfully reminded her. “All that time, you sat in front of all of those people, absolutely dripping.” 

“And during the meeting,” she frowned when his fingers danced away from her center and traced her hipbone.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Zuko skimmed his hands over her thighs and kissed her again.

Katara felt her boyfriend grin against her lips. “What?” She asked, grazing her fingernails lightly over the skin of his back. 

“If that ambassador was mad about nepotism before, imagine how pissed he’d be if he found out about this.”

Katara dug her nails into his flesh, and Zuko hissed. “Are you suggesting your motivations behind your political moves might not be pure?” She rolled her hips again when he arched in response to her dragging nails. 

Zuko flipped them so Katara was pressed flat against his sheets and lowered his head to her ear. “Maybe he should have been more worried about my intentions than yours.”

**Author's Note:**

> First time posting anything like this, so if it’s any good, let me know! I know ZW is officially SFW, so consider this an unofficial contribution.


End file.
